Brazil ties with Morocco in New Jersey!
Brazil’s fans in New Jersey were not amuzed!
Met Life Stadium, New Jersey, June 13 (EFE).- By Carlos Meneses
Brazil is not among the favorites for the 2026 World Cup, and they showed why on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against a very solid Morocco side, only salvaged by a flash of brilliance from Vinícius Júnior in the opening match of Group C.
It was a lackluster debut for Carlo Ancelotti as a World Cup manager, while Mohamed Ouahbi’s Morocco had a promising start at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It seems their semifinal appearance in Qatar 2022 was no fluke.
Ismael Saibari surprised the Seleção in the 21st minute, capitalizing on a masterful pass from Brahim Díaz, and Vinícius, who had been largely anonymous until then, leveled the score 11 minutes later.
Ancelotti made three surprise changes to his starting lineup, the first at fullback. Danilo and Alex Sandro, both heavily criticized at Flamengo, were considered favorites but ultimately remained on the bench. Douglas Santos and Roger Ibáñez were chosen instead.
The third attacking option was Igor Thiago, the breakout Premier League goalscorer with Brentford, who took Matheus Cunha’s place. Strength and muscle up front.
Just in case there was any doubt, Neymar, sidelined with a calf injury since mid-May, watched from the sidelines. NFL legend Tom Brady and former champions like Zidane, Bebeto, Cafu, and Dunga watched from the stands.
Morocco’s antidote was a crowded midfield with five men. It was a masterstroke, as it short-circuited Brazil for the first half-hour.
El Khannouss and Mazraoui found plenty of space down the flank of Ibáñez, who was constantly overwhelmed. Ounahi and Brahim were unmarked on the edge of the box against a passive and erratic opposing defense. Hakimi galloped through the opposition half as if nothing was amiss. Ez Abde’s last-minute withdrawal due to injury went unnoticed.
Ancelotti’s men were stuck in a rut. Casemiro and Paquetá, moreover, gave away several chances in possession. Only Vini offered any threat going forward.
And amidst this lethargy, Brahim threaded a masterful through ball between three Brazilian defenders, finding Saibari in space. Gabriel Magalhães failed to clear, Marquinhos couldn’t reach it, and the PSV Eindhoven midfielder chipped the ball over the onrushing Alisson.
A crushing blow for the five-time world champions. The Atlas Lions continued to press, with Hakimi driving down the right flank and Brahim delivering a wonderful backheel pass to Saibari inside the area.
The match was heading towards halftime when, out of nowhere, Vinícius appeared with a magic trick. The number seven cut inside past El Aynaoui and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot to the far post, leaving Bono with no chance.
First shot on target and goal. From a crushing blow to relief.
Brazil improved. They lifted a weight off their shoulders and began to string together attacks with more composure. In one such attack, Paquetá almost scored the goal of the week with a bicycle kick.
Even so, Ancelotti wasn’t satisfied and made two changes at halftime. Ibáñez and Casemiro, both on yellow cards, were taken off; and Danilo and Fabinho came on. Fortunately for the Seleção, Morocco eased off the pressure, perhaps due to the exertion of the first half; perhaps because Brazil was playing with more freedom. Vinícius kept trying, but he almost always found himself marked by two or even three defenders.
So ‘Carletto’ brought on Luiz Henrique and Matheus Cunha. The game began to tilt in favor of the South Americans. Raphinha almost converted a cross from Bruno Guimarães, and after the hydration break, the Barça forward fired a weak shot from a low cross by Vinícius.
In the 10 minutes of added time, the fear of losing spread. Brazil made one last push with another weak shot from Danilo Santos. The final chance, however, fell to the Africans with a venomous shot from the edge of the box by El Aynaoui and a poor clearance from Alisson that Amaimouni almost pounced on.
In the end, a point apiece. Brazil’s next stop is Haiti. Morocco will face Scotland. EFE
cms/tw
